Sec. 14.] FARM-nOUSES. 279 



word that they study least, if we may judge from what may Ijo seen in a 

 majority of the farm-liouses where wo have travelled — tliat is, from Quebec 

 to New ( )rleaiis, and from Florida to Mackinaw. Every wlicre is seen the 

 lack of adaptability to the purpose, either in size, form or location. Not one 

 farm house in ten is located upon the farm as well as it could have been. In 

 all the eastern, western and northern States, the farmery is found, nine times 

 out of ten, upon some public road, without reference to the convenience of 

 farminn; operations ; and frequently, in all respects, is very inconvenient. 



The location of the farm-house, and the arrangement of all the buildings 

 connected with the farmery, require the exercise of good judgment, fine 

 taste, carefully exercised skill, all combined, more than any other single 

 operation of a whole lifetime, because it is not only for the lifetime of the 

 builder, but succeedinsr s;enerations. 



In the first place, the top of the hill, or highest point of a hilly farm, never 

 should be selected for the dwelling of the farmer; such a site is only lit for 

 the residence of the lord of the manor, who intends to carry on farming by 

 a tenant, or hired fanner, who will occupy the house of the farmery proper. 

 His residence is not the farm-house; it is the mansion of the proprietor, 

 and may be built to suit the owners taste, if he lias any. (Jiir remarks are 

 intended to apply to farm-houses — the dwellings of that numerous class in 

 America who own the soil they till, partly with their own hands, and partly 

 with those of hireliiiL's. 



305. Size aud Form of a Farm-house. — It is not size that makes a dwell- 

 ing-house attractive, beautiful, or convenient. It is adaptability to the 

 j>urpose for which it was designed. Indeed, a house often has an unjdeasant 

 appearance on account of its size, because it gives the mind an inii>ression 

 that it is unnecessarily largo for the purpose for which it is designed. 



It is necessary that some farm-houses should be large — that is, afford a 

 great deal of room ; but they never should appear large, for if they do they 

 almost inevitably appear uncouth. 



Make just as much of the room as possible, on the same level. A farm- 

 house with twelve rooms, should have eight of them on the lower floor. 

 Never have a basement kitchen. 



No woman, during the years of child-bearing, who docs mucli of lier own 

 work, or oversees it when done by servants, should be compelled to go up 

 and down stairs every hour of the day. Her sitting, or family-room, bed- 

 room, dining-room, kitchen, wash-room, wood-room, well and cistern, should 

 all be on the same level, or with a variation of not more than two or three 

 steps. You camiot be a good man if you compel your wife to run up and 

 down stairs to do her every-day housework. You are not a good man, nor a 

 man of taste and good judgment, if you l)uild your house unnecessarily large, 

 because it will cause your wit'o many weary, extra ste})s to keep it tidy and 

 always swept and garnished as you slmuhl be proud to have it appear to 

 strangers. You are unworthy the name ot man if you keep your wife toil- 

 iui; in a house entirely too small for the necessities of your family, or in one 



